


Day 315

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [315]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27517711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [315]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 2





	Day 315

The Coterie informant came to Varric’s table in the Hanged Man a few hours before dawn. Varric was trying to figure out who was bringing lyrium into Lowtown and selling it to regular humans. Varric’s friends in the Carta claimed not to know anything about it. Come to think of it the Carta had been eerily quiet of late. Whatever they were doing, it didn’t seem to involve their normal activities at all. Gerav wasn't directly involved in whatever was going on… yet, and he refused to talk about it. Still, Varric trusted him when he said that they weren’t selling lyrium in Lowtown. 

It did mean that the Coterie was expanding their power in the vacuum left in wake of all the upheaval, which would put them in striking distance of a complete monopoly of Kirkwall’s underground. That concerned Varric a great deal. 

“What can we do for you Master Tethras,” the informant asked coily. 

“Are you selling lyrium to the people in Lowtown?” he asked. Normally he would have taken his time with information gathering but he didn’t feel much like idle talk right now.

“What if we were?” she asked. “It’s a new market so it doesn't interfere with the merchant’s guild business.”

“Well first of all,” Varric said, taking a sip from his ale. “We’ve acquired ownership of the district, which makes it merchant’s guild territory. But that’s a matter for turf negotiations and another time. Second of all, lyrium makes people go crazy and that’s bad for business. Why would normal people even want lyrium anyway.”

“We um.... May have let them think lyrium could protect them from demon attacks.”

“Alright,” Varric said, taking another sip from his mug, “You need to cut that out right now. I can buy all the lyrium you have in stock right now in compensation. We’re taking over the district and we won’t tolerate selling anything so dangerous. Stick to regular contraband.”

“We’re already voted to move forwards with the lyrium market,” she said. Varric finished his ale, taking a moment to calm his anger. Anger was bad for business and negotiations.

“I wasn’t asking,” Varric said, as evenly as he could.

“Good day,” said the representative. She stood and headed for the door. Varric got up to follow her but felt very unsteady on his feet.

Varric collapsed to his knees with sharp pain shooting through his guts. The bastards had poisonned him. Assassination was common in both the merchant’s guild and the Coerie but Varric haden’t been expecting an attempt on his life over this. More fool he. The Coterie must have projected massive profits from this endeavor. How many desperate people were there, terrified the templars couldn’t protect them from demons.

He might not have been expecting to be poisoned today, but he was always prepared for it. One didn’t survive as a dwarf for long without always expecting to be poisoned at least a little. He pulled out some charcoal from one of his pockets and solved as much as he could down his throat. He spent the next few minutes retching into a bucket in the corner. When there was nothing left in his stomach he got shakily to his feet, grabbed his empty mug, and ran as fast as he could to Tomwise’s shop.

“Varric,” Tomwise’s smile quickly faded when he saw Varric’s face. He imagined he must look positively dreadful.

“Get the antidote kits,” Tomwise shouted over his shoulder. Varric handed the ale mug over with shaky hands. Tomwise took it carefully and passed it off to a very concerned looking apprentice. 

“This will make matters easier,” he said with a slight smile. “Always planning ahead, Varric. That’s why you’re still alive.” he absently began dipping different things into the mug and examining them. Soon he should know what kind of poison was used and get the suitable antidote.

“Send a message to the guard and the Champion,” Varric said to a second apprentice who had appeared. She glanced at Tomwise for approval then hurried off. The world was starting to dim and get fuzzy.

“No,” Tomwise sais, slapping Varric across the face. “You stay awake until you’ve drunk this all down.”

Varric felt a vial being pressed into his hands and downed the contents in a single gulp. Then he surrendered himself into unconsciousness and prayed to Andraste that the antidote would do its work.


End file.
